Taking care of the skin and hair of your teacup pig

Teacup pigs are highly social creatures having small size and weight between 30-80 pounds and height of around 1 foot. The adult teacup pig grows max to the size of a small sized dog. The skin of these animals is usually dry and you don’t have to give them bath daily. You can brush them as they have regular hair on the skin and not furs (like dogs). Hence, there are no issues related to allergic reactions, which is a problematic issue for many other pets. If you apply oil or moisturizer on the body of a pig, make sure that you take very little amount and don’t get them too greasy. It can even clog their skin pores and cause slipperiness in the body parts. Coconut oil is a good option for application on the body of these teacup piggies.

Teacup pigs have hair on the body and not fur. The hair on the body is hard and dense, but they don’t fall off much. So, there is not much mess in your house. Your pig will probably shed the hair once in year. They can also get this in stages. The shedding will begin and you will be able to know about it. It usually happens on the onset of spring season. The weather goes warm and the skin starts getting changes. It is an itching condition for your teacup pig and you will notice that they try to itch on the walls, furniture, trees, bedding or other areas around.

You need to keep your pet hydrated and help them to pull off the hair gently from the body. It will make them easy. Regular combing on their hair can also turn off the unwanted material and they will get easy eradication of extra hair. Make sure that you keep their bedding clean to avoid any skin troubles for them.

Eyes and Ears of Teacup Pigs

Eyes

You might not know about this fact but teacup pigs have poor eyesight. Many people don’t know about this fact and think that their pet has some specific trouble, but it is with the case of every animal. You will observe some sticky or brownish water coming out of their eyes and it is a normal thing. Too much of this fluid can be a trouble, but normally, teacup pigs do get brown tears, which can be wiped away with a warm cloth.

You can even find the brown spots on their bedding area (blankets and bedding) and it is due to the wetness produced in their eyes. Pigs spending their daytime in outdoor areas usually have this kind of issue and it is quite normal. They are prone to getting dust in the eyes, which makes the tears brown. There are some pigs having Entropiana (eye condition having the lashes laid on the eyes). This condition can be rectified with a minor surgical procedure by veterinary doctor.

Ears

Pig ears can get wax inside them and it is very normal. Don’t clean too deep inside the pig’s ears and use a soft hand towel or antiseptic wipe to clear off the wax. Don’t use any ear bud or cleaner as it can harm the inside ear area. The wax catches up dust and other particles into the ears. There is no need to put liquid in the pig ears for cleaning as it can make them attain serious problems.

Pool bath is great for teacup pets and if they need cooling down during hot days, you should make sure that water doesn’t get into their ears. Also, at the time of giving bath, you should make sure that water doesn’t get into the ears of pig. It will create balance issues for the pet and it might get headache.

Teacup Pig Bath

Teacup pigs are nano sized pigs having a cute body structure. These pets have hair on their skin and can be cleaned by regular brushing. These animals don’t require too much washing as their skin is very dry. You can damp them with a few drops of organic coconut oil or wheat germ oil for keeping their skin healthy. However, there is not too much greasing required for their skin. The regular body temperature of a teacup pig is 102 degrees, which is much warmer. Hence, too much bathing can cause health issues for them. You can coat their skin with oil for moisturizing it.

Newborn piggies require very gentle bath. You can begin their bathing session by keeping them in a tub or sink and making the teacup pig very comfortable. There should be shallow water put inside the tub or sink to avoid it getting into ears. It should wet the body of the animal and in the initial phases, antiseptic drops can be put inside the water for bath. The water for bathing should be warm and not cold as the body temperature is warm and the pigs will get problems with too cold water.

The pig will be merged in water and you should keep on talking to them while bathing them. Make sure that you place a non-slippery mat under the pig when they are bathing to avoid the chances of falling down. Coconut oil after bath will make their skin supple, but apply only a few drops to avoid oiliness in the skin. There are many gentle pet shampoos available and you can use them on the skin and after bath, comb the hair with a pet grooming brush.

Your pig can remain healthy if you are following right ways for their upbringing. One bath in 7-10 days is sufficient to keep the tiny pig clean.